88 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



of snow. No other bird in the Polar Regions can compare with 

 it in richness of colour. We were fortunate enough to find a 

 nest, a mere depression in the turf containing two eggs. The 

 male bird was on the nest. We proceeded after this in the steam- 

 launch to the extreme head of Green Harbour, a distance of some 

 seven miles, and landing, visited a most interesting glacier. A 

 single Buffon's Skua was seen and shot there. Hundreds of 

 Kittiwakes and Glaucous Gulls were gathered together on the 

 sands and blocks of ice at the head of this bay, and a few Arctic 

 Terns and Ivory Gulls with them. 



The next day I was ashore early. The temperature on the 

 fell marked 50°; it felt very warm. I came across eight Pink- 

 footed Geese feeding near the shore; I was within eighty yards 

 of them. W T hen they arose six flew away to the other side of 

 Green Harbour, and one pair took to the fell. Following them 

 up, I again disturbed them, but instead of leaving, they sailed 

 round in a great circle, now and again alighting on a hillock or 

 spot of rising ground. From their actions it was easy to 

 judge their nest or young were not far off. I had not time to 

 continue the search. Near a morass I picked up the withered 

 wings of a wading bird, which I afterwards submitted to Professor 

 Newton, who gave me the following opinion : — " The withered 

 wings which you found in Green Harbour seem, after comparison, 

 to be those of Tringa alpina, of medium size, i. e., neither 

 T. schinzi (vera) nor T. americana ; but I would not swear to 

 their identity." I think, however, we may, without much scruple, 

 include the Dunlin, Tringa alpina, as a straggler to Spitsbergen. 



We left Ice Fiord, on our way north to Danes Island, on 

 July 5th. At 3 p.m. of that day we were about the approximate 

 position of Goshawk Bock, which is charted as twenty feet above 

 water. No such rock appears above the surface in fine weather, 

 and it is probably a hidden danger, to be carefully avoided. As 

 the sea was quite smooth and the weather fine, we got into the 

 dingey and took a series of soundings. About two or three miles 

 from where the yacht lay was a low island close inshore of Prince 

 Charles Foreland, and bearing south-east of Goshawk Rock oi 

 the chart. We pulled to this skerry, which is a low island oi 

 schistose rock about 50 acres in extent. We landed after some 

 little trouble, for even in this calm weather the swell broke heavily 

 on the rocks. On scrambling up we found the centre of the islet 



